Jesus Christ/
Cross

Christ not only died for us, He lived for us as well. Understanding this point
helps to assure us of our salvation. We are, of course, called to please God
through obeying His will. Nevertheless, we realize that the best ...Read More

We do not often stop to consider just how offensive the message of the cross
is to unconverted hearts. Which sinner could possibly imagine that the omnipotent
Creator would save His people through the weakness and ignoble
death of the ...Read More

The longer we are Christians, the easier it can be to forget the greatness of
our salvation and the incalculable price that our Father paid to adopt us as
His children. Yet we must never allow ourselves to consider the ...Read More

Christ’s reign and protection of His people does not guarantee that we will
not face hardship, trials, and suffering as long as this present sinful order
exists, for He has promised that suffering will be the lot of His ...Read More

As we recall the great inheritance of the age to come, we will seek more and
more to enjoy a greater foretaste of the blessings that will come in that day
when sin will be no more. Knowing that sin ...Read More

John Calvin says that the demons “are disarmed, so that they cannot bring
forward anything against us, the attestation of our guilt being itself
destroyed.” Demonic powers cannot rightly accuse those who are in Christ
of guilt, nor can they ...Read More

That God no longer regards us as guilty, because of our union with Christ,
does not mean that He has overlooked our sin, for He has judged it in the
flesh of His Son, whose perfect righteousness is credited to ...Read More

Martin Luther writes, “They are the Israel of God who with faithful Abraham believe the promises of God offered already in Christ, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.” God’s people Israel are not defined by ethnicity but by faith ...Read More

John Chrysostom comments on today’s passage: “By ‘world’ he means not heaven nor earth but the affairs of life, human praise, distinguished positions, reputation, wealth and all things that have a show of splendor. All such things are dead ...Read More

How do we define ourselves? When other people ask us to tell them a little bit about ourselves, what do we say? If one of our friends or coworkers is asked to describe us, what do they say? If the ...Read More

Today’s passage reminds us that we receive the promised blessing of God not by genetics but through personal trust in the Messiah. Thus, the true children of Abraham are those who have faith — whether Jew or Gentile. In this ...Read More

The darkness over the land in the three hours before Jesus dies (Matt. 27:45) is a sign of God’s anger at those who kill His Son as well as the curse upon humanity. “The darkness [cries] out against ...Read More

We still wait for the visible, bodily presence of Christ, but that does not mean the kingdom is not present at all right now. Though its fullness has not yet been realized, the kingdom has come, and, indeed, it continues ...Read More